Speakers

Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Captain Brian Geranen joined the Phoenix Fire Department in 2005.  He is currently assigned to the Phoenix Fire Department’s UAS Program as the Program Coordinator where he serves as lead pilot and manages the training, response, and daily communications associated with the program.

Captain Geranen is a Certified Emergency Paramedic, an FAA 107 UAS Pilot, and holds an Associates Degree in Fire Science from Phoenix College, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management from Grand Canyon University.

Katelyn C. Keegan is the Montgomery County, Maryland,  Community Emergency Response Team  (CERT) Virtual Emergency Response Team Lead. She previously presented about the role social media and virtual operations can play in bolstering traditional public safety at regional conferences and the European Commission's Joint Research Centre's Virtual Workshop entitled "Social Media for Disaster Risk Management". Katelyn received her Master's in Public Administration from American University in Washington, D.C., and a Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Chief Dawn Layman has been employed in law enforcement since 1989. In December 2020 she was appointed Chief at the Lenexa, Kansas Police Department. She previously served as the Deputy Chief and also served as Commander of both the Patrol and Information Technology Divisions. She served as the Staff Services Division Commander responsible for Dispatch/Communications, Radio Technicians, Public Service Officers and Police Department Information Technology. She has served in all divisors of the department.

Chief Layman earned her Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Kansas and was a member of the National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from West Chester University (PA). In 2016, she received the West Chester University Distinguished Alumni Award. She is a graduate of the 59 th session of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Senior Management Institute for Police and a graduate of the 251 st session of the FBI National Academy.

Chief Layman has been an active member of National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE), serving as the organization’s President (2016 -2017) and (2011-2012). In 2015, she was named the NAWLEE Women Law Enforcement Executive of the Year. She currently serves as Vice-Chair for the Survivors of Blue Suicide Foundation, a national organization whose mission is to foster hope by uniting survivors of law enforcement suicide to support one another and honor our fallen heroes.

Chief Layman enjoys mentoring and coaching others. She believes that one of the greatest challenges and ultimate successes is mentoring and challenging others to reach their fullest potential both personally and professionally.

Clay Taylor was named the Executive Director of the Department of Public Safety Officers Association (DPSOA) and DPS Troopers Foundation (DPSTF) in Austin in May, 2020. He has over thirty-eight years of law enforcement experience. He began his law enforcement career as a patrolman in Cameron, Texas in January of 1982 and joined the Texas Department of Public Safety in June of that same year. He graduated from the DPS Academy (C-82) and was a Trooper in the Texas Highway Patrol his entire career. He also serves as an executive for the National Trooper’s Coalition representing over 42,000 Troopers across the Country and the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial Foundation and Museum in Washington D.C.

In addition to his law enforcement experience, Trooper Taylor is also involved in the training and education fields. He earned a Bachelor and Master of Science from Texas A&M University with a certificate in college teaching and specialization in adult education.

DPSOA has over 4500 active and retired members and advocates for State Troopers, Texas Rangers, Criminal Investigator Agents, Communications Specialists, Forensic and Breath Alcohol Scientists within 2 DPS, in legislative and legal matters. DPSTF is a 501(c) 3 foundation, and provides scholarships, death benefits, emergency financial assistance as well as TCOLE training through state grants to members.

Carol is the General Manager for the City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Department. She was promoted to this position in August 2021, after serving as a senior emergency manager for 20 years with LA City. During her career, she has provided oversight for both long and short-term executive-level citywide emergency management projects and programs involving department-specific and/or multi-agency and multi-jurisdiction coordination. This includes implementation and oversight of various ongoing citywide initiatives such as the execution of the automated external defibrillation program; tsunami evacuation route initiative, disaster service worker program; supply chain resilience pilot study; disability, access, and functional needs planning and training; homeland security grants; emergency management planning, operations, and facility contracts; and citywide community preparedness initiatives including the current Ready Your LA Neighborhood program, etc.

Prior to and during times of disaster and major planned events, she has served in leadership capacities to coordinate response and recovery activities. She has served in several oversight roles for the Emergency Operations Center activation for the COVID-19 activation.

Ensuring that Angelenos and business owners are well informed and prepared for disaster is her career-long passion. This has led to opportunities to serve on leadership teams for Emergency Network Los Angeles and the Earthquake Country Alliance. Additionally, Carol has received numerous City and County Awards and recognition as a co-producer of an Emmy Award-winning public service announcement on the importance of family preparedness.

She has thirty years of experience in emergency management at the city, county, and state levels. Her career began in 1988 in Atlanta, Georgia, where she held several management-level positions at the Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency and the State of Georgia Emergency Management Agency before moving to Los Angeles. Carol joined the City of Los Angeles government in 1998 as an Emergency Preparedness Coordinator I. In 2000, she became the first female African American senior management executive, as an Emergency Preparedness Coordinator II, to help transform the City’s Emergency Management Department into a world-class leader in preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts.

Carol is a graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology (B.S – Industrial Management) and Georgia State University (M.S. – Instructional Design) and has received certifications as a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and Certified Emergency Manager. She has also completed the UCLA Anderson School of Management – Marketing Executive Series. She was awarded certificates of completion for the Driving Government Performance Program (March 2016) and the Leadership in Crisis Program (April 2019), John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Executive Education.

Carol and her husband, Dennis of 26 years have three daughters. She is an active member of her church and enjoys traveling, decorating and horseback riding.

Paul Jeffery is a Regional Sales Manager at Splunk where he helps Law Enforcement Agencies solve challenging criminal investigations. Previously at Splunk, he spent 7 years as a Staff Solutions Engineer supporting Defense Contractors and State and Local agencies.

Michael Sparks, the Sr. Manager of Government Solutions for Zebra Technologies, has over 30 years of experience developing and delivering complex technology and software solutions with a particular emphasis on solutions for Government and First Responders.  Prior to joining Zebra, he directed sales and marketing for a software development company delivering mobility solutions for First Responders and has held leadership positions with Compaq Computer Corporation, GE Capital, and Trimble Navigation.

Michael earned his MBA at Florida Atlantic University with a focus on the commercialization of new technologies, innovation, and intellectual property.  Outside the office, Michael is the proud father of two recent University of Florida graduates, a devoted husband of 30 years, and an avid fisherman